Guard for honeycomb cutters



Nov. 10, 1964 R R. BRowN GUARD FoR RoNEycoMB CUTTERS Filed Nov. 20, 1962 Fig. I

INVETOR. RICHARD R. BRowN United States Patent O Fplee 3,156,349 GUARD FR IIONEYCGMB CUTTERS Richard R. Brown, 1633 Lily Ave., El Cajon, Calif. Filed Nov. 20, 1962, Ser. No. 239,021 2 Claims. (Cl. 26646) The present invention relates generally to protective containers and more particularly to a guard for honeycomb cutters.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a guard to hold a honeycomb cutter, or similar very line edge rotary cutting tool, the guard taking the form of a casing completely enclosing the cutting edge but leaving the central hub free for attachment to a spindle of a cutting machine with the guard still in place.

Another object of this invention is to provide a guard which facilitates the transportation and storing of sharp edged, relatively heavy cutters.

Another object of this invention is to provide a guard which is separable into two complementary shell portions and can be litted over or removed from a cutter while the cutter is in a machine, so avoiding the necessity for handling the sharp edge with the possibility of damage to the edge or injury to the hands.

Another object of this invention is to provide a guard which is secured in the closed position by a single, easily operable fastener."

A further object of this invention is to provide a guard in which the cutter is securely held with the cutting edge completely clear'of all adjacent structure.

Finally, it is an object to provide a guard of the aforementioned character which is simple and convenient to construct and which will withstand continuous handling without any possibility of damage to the cutter.

With these and other objects definitely in view, this invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions, as will be hereinafter fully described in the specification, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the drawing which forms a material part of this disclosure and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation view of the guard and cutter, a portion of the guard being cut away to expose a segment of the periphery of the cutter;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2 2 of FIGURE 1, the cutter being shown in chain line;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the guard only, taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation view diagrammatically illustrating the removal of the guard from a cutter which has been operably mounted on a machine.

Similar characters of reference indicate similar or identical elements and portions throughout the specification and throughout the views of the drawing.

The guard comprises a liat, generally rectangular box transversely divided into what will be arbitrarily designated a lower shell portion and an upper shell portion 12 complementary thereto. The lower shell portion 10 has an outer frame including edge members 14 and a base member 16 spaced apart by and secured to side panels 18 and 20. Similarly the upper shell portion has a frame with edge members '22 and a top shell member 24 similarly spaced apart by and secured to side panels 2S and 30. Fixed to the opposite edges of lower shell portion 10 are confronting guide channels 32, generally U-shaped in cross section and secured by screws 34 to this lower shell portion. The outer edges of side panels 18 and 20 preferably have rabbetted grooves 36 in which the guide channels are seated to be ilush with the outer faces of said side panels, as in FIGURE 3. Guide channels 32 have extended portions 35 extending Well beyond the opening or mouth of the lower shell portion or upwardly from aisasia Patented Nov. 10, 1964 the lower portion 10 as the same is illustrated in FIG- URES 1 and 2 to receive the upper portion 12, the edges of which have rabbetted grooves 33 so that said upper portion is a close sliding tit between the extending portions 35 of the guide channels. The extended portions 35 of one guide channel 32 has lixed thereon a bushing 40 through which a locking screw 42 extends into a socket 44 in adjacent edge `member 22 and engages with an anchor nut or blind nut 46, as in FIGURE l. Locking screw 42 has an enlarged head 48 for manual operation and is the sole fastening by which the two shell portions of the guard are secured together, the guide channels 32 preventing any displacement or misalignment.

The cutter 50, as illustrated, is a rotary disc type cutter used for slicing off portions of honeycomb core material, and for such a use must have a very thin sharp edge, indicated at 52. Cutter 50 has a central hub 54 extending axially from one side, the other side being flat to pass over the cut away honeycomb material. Hub 54 is dimensioned to fit into the drive spindle 56 of a cutting machine, as indicated fragmentarily in FIGURE 4.

To hold the cutter securely the guard has a central opening 58 to fit hub S4, the opening being through side panels 18 and 2S and divided diametrically between lower and upper shell portions 10 and 12, so that the two shell portions can be fitted over the cutter. In the side panels 20 and 30 is a similar opening 60 concentric with opening 5S to provide access to the other side of the cutter for convenience in attaching the cutter to spindle 56. On the inside of side panels Z0 and 30 is a spacing pad 62 through which opening 6l) extends, the spacing pad bearing against the ilat face 64 of cutter 50 and being substantially smaller than the cutter to support the cutter clear of the side panels. The thickness of the disc portion of cutter 50 is sutiicient to hold cutting edge 52 clear of side panels 13 and 28 and the inside dimensions of the guard are sufficient to provide ample annular clearance around the cutting edge, which is thus iirmly held clear of all structure.

With the hub 54 protruding from the guard, the cutter 50 can be attached to spindle S6 with the guard still in place and closed, as indicated in broken line in FIGURE 4. This allows the cutter to be handled safely without the danger of cutting the hands or damaging the cutting edge. The opening 60 exposes the lower face 64 of the cutter and permits accurate positioning of the cutter relative to the Work surface if required. Once the cutter 5) is secured, the locking screw 42 can be released and the case portions l@ and 12 slid oit from opposite sides or" the cutter, as illustrated in full line. This can be easily accomplished with the cutter horizontal as shown, or in a vertical position on other types of machines. To remove the cutter from the machine, the guard is replaced and secured in closed position by the single locking screw 42. Then, with the cutting edge 52 fully enclosed, the cutter can be handled in a safe manner.

The guard is preferably constructed with wooden frame members and side panels of impregnated iiber board, although other materials may be equally suitable. Screws, adhesives, or any other means can be used to join the structure together. Due to the positive alignment of the two shell portions of the guard and the method of holding the cutter by its hub and liat face, rough handling or even dropping will not damage the cutting edge. Also, the cutter enclosed in the guard can be stored in any position and does not require special racks or holders.

The guard is especially suitable for the honeycomb cutter of the type illustrated. These cutters are relatively heavy and have presented a very real hazard to workmen in handling the same until the problem was solved by the instant invention. Transportation and handling of such cutters has also been facilitated. The guard is easily adaptable to other cutters having an extended hub or shank which can be secured between the separable shell portions. By protecting only the blade and allowing the hub to protrude, the size of the guard casing is reduced to a minimum and the huh can be attached to the appropriate driving spindle without interfering with the protective casing or exposing the blade.

It is understood that minor Variation from the form of the invention disclosed herein may be made without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that the specification and drawing are to be considered as merely illustrative rather than limiting.

I claim:

1. The combination of a honeycomb cutter having a disc-like blade with an annular sharp cutting edge and an axial hub extending from one side thereof;

a substantially hat, hollow guard composed of a pair of separable complementary shell portions; opposed guide channels xed to opposite edges of one of said shell portions and having extended portions to engage therebetween the other said shell portion;

locking means on one of said extended portions releasibly engageable with said other shell portion;

said guard having an opening in one side thereof at the junction of said shell portion to tit closely around and hold said hub of the cutter with the hub protruding through said opening;

said shell portions being substantially larger than the cutter and having internal annular clearance from the cutting edge;

and spacing means inside the other side of said guard to space the cutter therefrom.

2. The combination of a honeycomb cutter having a disc-like blade with an annular sharp cutting edge and an axial hub extending from one side thereof;

a substantially tlat, hollow guard composed of a pair of separable complementary shell portions;

opposed guide channels fixed to opposite edges of one of said shell portions and having extended portions to engage therebetween the other said shell portion;

locking means on one of said extended portions releasibly engageable with said other shell portions;

said guard having an opening in one side thereof at the junction of said shell portions to t closely around and hold said hub of the cutter with the hub protruding through said opening;

said shell portions being substantially larger than the cutter and having internal annular clearance from the the cutting edge;

spacing means inside the other side of said guard to space all portions of the cutting edge of the cutter therefrom;

said spacing means and the said other side each having an opening, said openings being coaxial with said first mentioned opening to permit access and to facilitate mounting the cutter on the spindle of cutting machine while the guard is still in place on the cutter.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS T HERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. 

2. THE COMBINATION OF A HONEYCOMB CUTTER HAVING A DISC-LIKE BLADE WITH AN ANNULAR SHARP CUTTING EDGE AND AN AXIAL HUB EXTENDING FROM ONE SIDE THEREOF; A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT, HOLLOW GUARD COMPOSED OF A PAIR OF SEPARABLE COMPLEMETARY SHELL PORTIONS; OPPOSED GUIDE CHANNELS FIXED TO OPPOSITE EDGES OF ONE OF SAID SHELL PORTIONS AND HAVING EXTENDED PORTIONS TO ENGAGE THEREBETWEEN THE OTHER SAID SHELL PORTION; LOCKING MEANS ON ONE OF SAID EXTENDED PORTIONS RELEASIBLY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID OTHER SHELL PORTIONS; SAID GUARD HAVING AN OPENING IN ONE SIDE THEREOF AT THE JUNCTION OF SAID SHELL PORTIONS TO FIT CLOSELY AROUND AND HOLD SAID HUB OF THE CUTTER WITH THE HUB PROTRUDING THROUGH SAID OPENING; SAID SHELL PORTIONS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER THAN THE CUTTER AND HAVING INTERNAL ANNULAR CLEARANCE FROM THE THE CUTTING EDGE; SPACING MEANS INSIDE THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID GUARD TO SPACE ALL PORTIONS OF THE CUTTING EDGE OF THE CUTTER THEREFROM, SAID SPACING MEANS AND THE SAID OTHER SIDE EACH HAVING AN OPENING, SAID OPENINGS BEING COAXIAL WITH SAID FIRST MENTIONED OPENING TO PERMIT ACCESS AND TO FACILITATE MOUNTING THE CUTTER ON THE SPINDLE OF CUTTING MACHINE WHILE THE GUARD IS STILL IN PLACE ON THE CUTTER. 